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Category Archives: Fanfiction

Sometimes a writer, tv show or movie creates a world or characters that the reader/viewer fall in love with. And while the canon for those worlds/characters may be okay, we – the reader/viewer – want to take them in different directions. I have yet to find a fanfiction writer who is doing it for money (other than to maintain their sites) or out of anything by love for the worlds/characters

It contains two things that may not go over well in the UF/PR community.

First, it is about a same sex relationship. Male/male. So if you think that is ooky, don’t read any further.

Second, it is about fan fiction. You know, a story written, by a fan obviously, using characters created by other people for books, movies or in this case a TV show.

Some folks look down on that sort of stuff, but frankly I’ve found some writers there that blow me away. Sure, they may not have created the actual character, but they stay so true to the character that someone else created you can barely see the difference. And the stories, the situations, the plots, the love scenes… amazing. I once spent almost a whole year reading nothing but fan fiction, discovering some of the best writers I have ever read, (saving lots of money) and never felt any loss because it wasn’t an actual book. Why some of those writer don’t have publishing contracts I just don’t know. I guess because most of what they had written – to date – had been fan fiction…

Now I am not saying that they are all good. There is a LOT of dross out there for that rare spot of gold. Believe me; there have been many, many some times the stuff I was reading made me want to scrub my eyes with bleach. Of course I’ve also paid for some novels that made me want to do the same thing.

When it comes to fan fiction, I am not sure how published writers feel about it. Most, I think, ignore it. I’ve seen some writers mention it in their blogs and say that they are okay with it, and then I’ve seen others be very vociferous in their denunciation of it. Personally, I would think it would help sell more books or attract people to TV shows and movies. I know I have done all of those things (picked up a book, started watching a show or a movie) because of a ‘fic. Still, I am not a published author (yet) so I may feel different once that happens.

About the ‘vociferous denunciations’; I have seen most because of that one little fact that I mentioned first: they don’t like the whole slash aspect. Now, not all fanfiction is slash, but there is enough of it out there that it could be threatening. Homosexuality is not fully accepted (yet) and it can cause some people – especially the original creators of the character – to balk.

As I have not yet a creator of an original character (that any of you know about yet at least) I can’t comment on that. I, again, may feel differently once I finally make it into print. I do know that I have no problem with homosexuality (and before you ask, hetero woman here). I do have a caveat when it comes to sex; it must be between consenting adults (no force, children or animals), but that caveat goes for all sex, regardless of orientation.

Whoa! Way to start getting way off topic… my point is that I read fan fiction. I read both het and slash fan fiction. And once in a while I find a writer who blows me away.

And I am babbling now because I found one. The show they write for is CSI: NY, which is one of my person fave shows. And being someone who has all the DVDs and is an avid watcher, I can tell you that I really think this writer has gotten the ‘voices’ of the characters spot on.

The aspect that they have added – which is why I am mentioning it here – is that they have added a supernatural element, integrating it seamlessly into the reality that is New York City. In this world, supernaturals exist alongside humans, perhaps not fully peaceably, but they are there and people know about them.

I also think this fic sets itself apart from others I have read because, for the most part it is about one character, and focuses on his back story. Supernatural back story, and also his relationship with the other CSI: NY characters. With characters who may have been alluded to through the show, but not introduced. And even a few characters who have been introduced in the show (or other shows), but at a time long before they went on to television ‘fame’.

The author has also done a pretty complete ‘world’ build for this story. Much like Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris or Laurel Hamilton have done; this writer has created a world where supernaturals are among us, we know about them and have an uneasy co-existence with them. It has depth and it has history.

Frankly, if this story didn’t contain characters from a TV show that I love deeply, and it was a straight UF story, I’d still count it as one of the best I’ve read in while.